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Introduction

King Sejong, the 4th king of the Joseon Dynasty (1397-1450, reigning from 1418-1450) was responsible for some of the most brilliant achievements in the history of Korea, including the creation of Hangeul (Korean alphabet) and great advancements in the areas of science, culture, art and politics. The passage behind the Statue of King Sejong in Gwanghwamun Square is home to The Story of King Sejong Exhibition Hall, which describes some of the king’s most astounding contributions to the development of Korea as a nation.

The Story of King Sejong Exhibition Hall comprises of 9 different sections with a total area of 3,200㎡. Throughout the museum are a variety of displays detailing Sejong’s invention of Hangeul, and his scientific, artistic, military, and political contributions (including the theory of Minbon, which recognized the people as the base of politics).

*General Information
For the convenience and entertainment of visitors, the museum also has a special exhibition room, the King Sejong Multimedia Room, books, a souvenir shop, and a lounge.

The Exhibition Hall’s relatively new ‘Cia-Cia Hangeul Story Hall’ (opened in Feb. 12, 2010) gives visitors an even better chance to see the far-reaching effects of Sejong’s efforts. The Cia-Cia tribe in Indonesia, in lieu of having its own writing system, adopted Hangeul as their official written language.

The Story of King Sejong Exhibition Hall is linked to the KT building on the left and the Sejong Center for Performing Arts on the right through an easily-accessible underground passageway.

The museum is open every day (except Mondays) from 10:30am to 10:30pm.

Administration

Sejong Center

Structure Size

3,200㎡

Exhibition Hall Information

‘King Sejong as an Individual’: This section takes visitors through the life of Sejong, from his childhood to his passing. Visitors can even learn about Sejong’s personality and hobbies using state-of-the-art technologies including a 42” LCD monitor, animation images and a graphic panel.

‘Minbon Thought’: Displays photos of King Sejong as holographic images and includes a multimedia presentation detailing the king’s Minibon thought that included innovative concepts like ‘love and respect for the people, ’ ‘maternity leave system for slaves,’ and ‘public opinion poll on lease system law.’

‘Creation of Hangeul’: Describes the process of creating Hangeul with models and graphic panels, expounding on the scientific and practical characteristics of Hangeul.

‘Science and Art’: This zone displays holographic images of important inventions such as the Honcheonui (celestial globe) and Jagyeokru (water clock). Cheonsangyeolchabunyajido (astronomical chart) is spread out over the ceiling, and on the floor is a sundial.

‘Great Sage King Sejong’: Presents the beauty of Korea through various images and illustrates the leadership and political achievements of King Sejong with models portraying the cultural heritages of King Sejong’s period.